Megalithic Monuments Of Ireland

From Stonehenge to Newgrange, one of the richest arrays of megalithic monuments in Europe is found in Britain and Ireland. Using massive stone blocks, timber posts and mounds of earth or chalk, the people of these islands built great monuments from the beginning of the Neolithic and the arrival of pottery and farming some 6000 years ago down into the Bronze Age. The number and sheer diversity of these structures is astonishing. Stone circles and chambered tombs, burial mounds and earthwork enclosures, henges and cursus monuments, all belong to the same general category of monumental prehistoric architecture. Tombs, sanctuaries, places of cult and of memory: these Neolithic monuments had numerous functions in prehistoric societies. Transforming the lanscape, such grand structures must have represented for their communities a particular way of responding to changing social and symbolic needs, whether processing the dead, gathering for ceremonies, or embellishing locations that were of sacred significance. Organized by geographical area this authoritative overview is ideal for traveller and student alike.

Dolmens and burial chambers, known as megalithic tombs, dot the Irish countryside and fascinate all who encounter them. Shrouded in mystery and beyond explanation, fresh archaeological interpretations provide new ways of understanding these ancient structures.

County Kildare, 'Contae Chill Dara' was named after the town of Kildare, 'Cill Dara' and assumed its present borders in 1832. County Laois "Contae Laoise" was formerly known as Queen's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. Both counties contain some fine Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age monuments, as well as some early Christian monasteries.

County Offaly, 'Contae Uíbh Fhailí' is named after the Kingdom Of Uí Fáilghe and was controlled principally by the Ó Conchubhair Fáilghe clan in the north-east of the county and by the Ó Céarbhaill of Ely in the south. The county is home tothe lost city of Clonmacnoise, Ireland's leading Monastic site. County Westmeath, 'Contae na hIarmhí', was named after the historic kingdom and province of Mide.The Hill of Uisneach 'Cnoc Uisnigh', in Moycashel, is in Irish mythology, considered to be the mystical navel of Ireland and was said to indicate the meeting point of the borders of the provinces of Leinster, Munster, Connacht, Ulster and Mide.

'Ireland's Ancient Stones' celebrates Ireland's rich megalithic heritage from the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. McNally describes over 100 sites in detail and every site has been illustrated with a combination of colour and black and white photography with drawings and engravings, many dating from 17th and 18th centuries.

Winner of Current Archaeology’s Book of the Year Discover the iconic standing stones and prehistoric sites of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland—this comprehensive, coffee table travel guide features over 750 must-see destinations, with maps and color photographs The ultimate insiders’ guide, The Old Stones gives unparalleled insight into where to find prehistoric sites and how to understand them, by drawing on the knowledge, expertise and passion of the archaeologists, theorists, photographers and stones aficionados who contribute to the world’s biggest megalithic website—the Megalithic Portal. Including over 30 maps and site plans and hundreds of color photographs, it also contains scores of articles by a wide range of contributors—from archaeologists and archaeoastronomers to dowsers and geomancers—that will change the way you see these amazing survivals from our distant past. Locate over 1,000 of Britain and Ireland’s most atmospheric prehistoric places, from recently discovered moorland circles to standing stones hidden in housing estates. Discover which sites could align with celestial bodies or horizon landmarks. Explore acoustic, color, and shadow theory to get inside the minds of the Neolithic and Bronze Age people who created these extraordinary places. Find out which sites have the most spectacular views, which are the best for getting away from it all and which have been immortalized in music. And don't forget to visit the Megalithic Portal website and get involved by posting your discoveries online. All royalties from this book go to support the running of the Megalithic Portal: www.megalithic.com.

Mythical Ireland embodies the search for a soul among Ireland's ancient ruins, and is an attempt to retrieve something of deeper import from 5,000-year-old megalithic monuments and their associated myths. The book represents a fascinating and engaging journey through time, landscape and the human spirit. Dealing with archaeology, interpretive mythography, cosmology and cosmogony, the book attempts to grapple with a core meaning, something beyond the functional interpretations of academia. In this revised and expanded edition, Anthony Murphy delves further into the many enthralling aspects of this journey. Just how much knowledge did locals have of the secrets of Newgrange before it was excavated? Who is the Cailleach, the ancient hag goddess whose image is ubiquitous in the ancient landscape? What happened to make Ireland's Stonehenge disappear from the landscape? Who were the first kings of Tara? What were the indigenous Irish myths about the Milky Way? Did someone try to steal the Tara Brooch? Why are there myths in Ireland about flooded towns and cities? Lavishly illustrated with exquisite photographs of the Irish landscape and ancient monuments, Mythical Ireland represents a personal and yet universal journey, a quest to reimagine the shrines as empowering and transformative sacred places. Murphy invokes the druids and poets of the Boyne and thus the sídhe of the ancient texts are reawakened for a modern and turbulent world.

County Wexford, "Contae Loch Garman", was named after the town of Wexford, which derives its name from the Old Norse name "Waesfjord".It is a largely low-lying fertile land and is the characteristic landscape of the county. The highest point in the county is Mount Leinster, 795 m above sea level in the Blackstairs Mountains. Most of it's Megalithic structures are located in the south-east of the county.